"The king wanted to ask me whether I thought Ajax or Achilles was the better fighter," Chares answered gravely.
"What did you tell him?" Glycippus inquired.
"I told him that Ajax, in my opinion, was the better with the sword," the Theban said. "He did not like it because, you know, he claims descent from the son of Thetis."
"Yes," the young man said eagerly. "And he has taken Achilles' armor from the temple here, leaving his own in its place."
"He had it on while he was talking with us," Chares said. "It fits him well enough. You know he has ordered Ilium to be rebuilt."
"Has he?" cried Glycippus. "That is news," and he hurried off to tell it.
"That, at least, has the merit of being true," Chares said. "Ptolemy told me while I was waiting for you."
"First of all we must choose a leader," Clearchus said when they were alone in their tent. "I vote for Leonidas."
"And so do I," Chares added heartily, clapping the Spartan on the back.
Leonidas protested, but his friends refused to give way, pointing out that to him Alexander had given the map. They persuaded him at last to yield.